My four questions for my chargen program

[ShawnDriscoll]

I'm writing a Mongoose Traveller chargen program. The start of which can be seen on my YouTube channel. I have three questions about the rules.

1) On the Citizen Event Table (#6), it mentions special training. Does this mean any skill from the book can be picked? Or only a skill from the character's specialization assignment?

2) When you advance in a career, do you roll right then your extra roll on the Skills and Training Tables? Or does it mean you get to roll twice on the tables for each following term in that career?

3) If a character fails their survival roll (not die, just has to leave a career), does their current term count as finished? Do they still get to collect any benefits before looking for another career?

4) Do characters get basic training only once in their lifetime? Or do they also do basic training again whenever they start a new career?

 

[Morningkiller]

1) On the Citizen Event Table (#6), it mentions special training. Does this mean any skill from the book can be picked? Or only a skill from the character's specialization assignment?

Looks like any skill you like to me.

2) When you advance in a career, do you roll right then your extra roll on the Skills and Training Tables? Or does it mean you get to roll twice on the tables for each following term in that career?

You roll on the skill table straight away as far as I know. You then apply any bonuses from the rank table.

3) If a character fails their survival roll (not die, just has to leave a career), does their current term count as finished? Do they still get to collect any benefits before looking for another career?

If you fail you roll on the mishap table and apply the results. Sometimes the table gives you options to stay in the career but if it doesn't you are out. You roll for benefits but do not gain a roll for this term as you failed survival.

4) Do characters get basic training only once in their lifetime? Or do they also do basic training again whenever they start a new career?[/quote]

For your first career you get all service skills at level 0 (some exceptions - see drifter). For all subsequent career you get to choose a single service skill at level 0.

 

[CosmicGamer]

It's not a special assignment so it would seam unrealistic to me to gain Battle Dress, Heavy Weapons, Tactics or other skills civilian would normals not get any training in.

It says "given advance training" and it's based on education so it's not too incredulous to believe it should be a skill on the advanced education table.

It says "in a specialists field" so perhaps it should be a skill from one of the assignment tables - Corporate, Worker, or Colonist.

Although I think I may have seen this event rolled, I don't think the EDU 10+ roll succeeded so it never had to be decided.

 

[Morningkiller]

It's not a special assignment so it would seam unrealistic to me to gain Battle Dress, Heavy Weapons, Tactics or other skills civilian would normals not get any training in.

It says "given advance training" and it's based on education so it's not too incredulous to believe it should be a skill on the advanced education table.

It says "in a specialists field" so perhaps it should be a skill from one of the assignment tables - Corporate, Worker, or Colonist.

Although I think I may have seen this event rolled, I don't think the EDU 10+ roll succeeded so it never had to be decided.

I can easily see a rugged colonist having to pick up battle dress for operating in some crazy inhospitable environment under threat of pirates or raiders.

Even today civilians use heavy weapons and explosives to clear avalanches in certain regions.

As written it says any skill. I'd say if you can make an interesting story that justifies it then anything goes.

 

[Galadrion]

Battle Dress could possibly be justified for either a Colonist or a Worker - Ripley's loader from Alien, anyone? But it would certainly be a case of "justify it to the GM".

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Battle Dress could possibly be justified for either a Colonist or a Worker - Ripley's loader from Alien, anyone? But it would certainly be a case of "justify it to the GM".

So far, my program hasn't picked Battle Dress in weird places. The chance is slim, so I won't worry about.

 

[CosmicGamer]

It's not a special assignment so it would seam unrealistic to me to gain Battle Dress, Heavy Weapons, Tactics or other skills civilian would normals not get any training in.

I can easily see a rugged colonist having to pick up battle dress for operating in some crazy inhospitable environment under threat of pirates or raiders.

I too have imagination and can come up with situations where any career can perhaps learn any skill.

Was just pointing out that, to me, the wording does not describe this event as a special assignment or other types of wording typically used in the events for describing cross training with another organizations or an unusual circumstance where an uncommon skill might be obtained.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

One pattern I'm noticing right away (because the computer can generate many characters every second) is, characters do not have Cr. until they muster. So they can't pay their roll('1D6') * 10000 injury crisis fee sometimes.

 

[F33D]

One pattern I'm noticing right away (because the computer can generate many characters every second) is, characters do not have Cr. until they muster. So they can't pay their roll('1D6') * 10000 injury crisis fee sometimes.

Just have it as a negative value that gets added to the char's muster out benefit total...

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I may add that rule as an option. For now, I'm just programming the character generator verbatim from the rules. I don't want to tweak anything yet, except for when the computer decides to finalize a character. Otherwise, the computer will let a character work until they die, since there is no rule for when players stop rolling dice.

I may just use an AGE limit as a fail-safe. But it is funny to see 70+ year-old guys with 1s and 2s left in their profile that haven't hit an injury or aging crisis yet.

 

[CosmicGamer]

I've always had issue with a software chargen that takes away the decision making that a player would normally do during chargen. Like deciding that they like the character as is and want to end chargen instead of incurring possible aging penalties.

Also, how does the program decide which table to roll on? I think some computer generated characters have more varied skills at a lower skill level than typical because it randomly picks tables when a player would be more likely to stick to one, trying to create a character with some proficiency.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Right now the computer doesn't have a preference for what kind of character to generate, or what homeworld it generates for them either. Worse case scenario would be the chargens all end up as NPC use with very detailed background stories.